Dear Folks,
Here is one to tease my Tamil friends… Those who know Tamil can try and find the film song that inspired me to pen down this translation of a woman’s cry. With my addition of some unwritten words in Poet Vali’s original, this will be tough. Those changes are also clues in the poem. I have changed the meter and anglicized the essence of expression in the cry. So, do not try to fit it into any native tune. It would sound ridiculous (lol). People above 50 can get the song if they could recall it. Bang your heads and try. I’m leaving this for the next 6 hrs and shall see who answers right and then disclose it.
Others who do not know Tamil should read it as my original poem and comment. That would be real.
Well. Being a poet is like a 9th-standard student playing Chatrapathi Shivaji in a school drama. For the moment, he is. Isn’t he?
If the happiest people in the world are poets, I wish, I’m one.
– Srirangam Ramesh
A Never-Ending Arrival
He gave himself to me as he took my heart to be
And he was gone far, so far away, but I believe
He’d come back and show up to take me right away,
Yes! He’d come back to me, here again, to stay-
He’s gone far away from me,
Oh, friend! So far away, he’s gone into the sea
He left me longing for the love I know but that I haven’t seen,
Maybe, he’d come back to ask his whereabouts with me,
And stay where he finds himself to be
Yes! He’d come back again here to stay with me-
Oh! But he’s gone far, so far away into the sea
Oh, friend! Too far away as I could clearly see
He put my heart in the fire and gave this fever to me,
And he’s gone so far, far away, but in my dream,
He’d come back to douse the fire flaming free
With the water of his love like a gushing stream-
Oh! But he’s gone far, so far away, dear friend,
So far away, and I’m sure this isn’t the end.
He opened the doors of love in my heart
But now he’s gone too far away
And I wish he walks through the doors that he opened
With wishes and smiles to stay-
Oh! But he’s gone far, so far away, dear friend,
So far away, and this never ends.
So far away, Oh friend!
And in my heart, his arrival never ends.
– Srirangam Ramesh ( My humble Tribute to Kavignar Vali)